What Do Mechanical Drafter Do?
Career Description Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.
Life As a Mechanical Drafter
- Coordinate with and consult other workers to design, lay out, or detail components and systems and to resolve design or other problems.
- Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.
- Confer with customer representatives to review schematics and answer questions pertaining to installation of systems.
- Review and analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, ideas, and related data to assess factors affecting component designs and the procedures and instructions to be followed.
- Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.
- Supervise and train other drafters, technologists, and technicians.
Skills Needed to be a Mechanical Drafter
These are the skills Mechanical Drafters say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Other Mechanical Drafter Job Titles
- Mold Designer
- Mechanical Design Drafter
- Autocad Designer
- CAD Designer (Computer Aided Design Designer)
- Automotive Design Drafter
Are There Job Opportunities for Mechanical Drafters?
There were about 64,800 jobs for Mechanical Drafter in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.2% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,400 new jobs for Mechanical Drafter by 2026. There will be an estimated 5,900 positions for Mechanical Drafter per year.
The states with the most job growth for Mechanical Drafter are Nevada, Connecticut, and Wyoming. Watch out if you plan on working in Washington, Vermont, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Mechanical Drafter Average Salary
The typical yearly salary for Mechanical Drafters is somewhere between $35,720 and $88,280.
Mechanical Drafters who work in Washington, New Mexico, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Mechanical Drafters in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $56,960 |
| Alaska | $72,880 |
| Arizona | $65,040 |
| Arkansas | $50,430 |
| California | $65,710 |
| Colorado | $63,450 |
| Connecticut | $66,590 |
| Delaware | $58,360 |
| District of Columbia | $50,500 |
| Florida | $54,610 |
| Georgia | $53,410 |
| Hawaii | $59,450 |
| Idaho | $48,430 |
| Illinois | $56,210 |
| Indiana | $51,610 |
| Iowa | $55,180 |
| Kansas | $50,210 |
| Kentucky | $53,950 |
| Louisiana | $66,150 |
| Maine | $56,880 |
| Maryland | $65,420 |
| Massachusetts | $57,500 |
| Michigan | $58,070 |
| Minnesota | $59,360 |
| Mississippi | $59,870 |
| Missouri | $54,470 |
| Montana | $53,230 |
| Nebraska | $50,100 |
| Nevada | $49,210 |
| New Hampshire | $58,350 |
| New Jersey | $68,200 |
| New Mexico | $69,930 |
| New York | $57,780 |
| North Carolina | $53,810 |
| North Dakota | $51,970 |
| Ohio | $53,690 |
| Oklahoma | $59,930 |
| Oregon | $57,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,280 |
| Rhode Island | $52,160 |
| South Carolina | $60,180 |
| South Dakota | $41,450 |
| Tennessee | $60,890 |
| Texas | $61,770 |
| Utah | $60,450 |
| Vermont | $53,600 |
| Virginia | $59,000 |
| Washington | $81,180 |
| West Virginia | $51,180 |
| Wisconsin | $52,390 |
| Wyoming | $54,650 |
What Tools do Mechanical Drafters Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Mechanical Drafters:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
- SAP
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Extensible markup language XML
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Bentley Microstation
- PTC Creo Parametric
- Autodesk Revit
- Trimble SketchUp Pro
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Document management system software
- Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects
How to Become a Mechanical Drafter
What kind of Mechanical Drafter requirements are there?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Mechanical Drafters Work?
Mechanical Drafters work in the following industries:
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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